Caring for Upholstered Furniture

During my long career in the furniture business I´ve often been asked, "What is the proper way to care for my fabric?" After all, you´ve purchased your dream piece but you´re terrified to use it out of fear of damaging it. But you don´t have to live in fear! After extensive research and testing I have found the following guidelines and suggestions to be helpful.

Because of the wide variety of fabric combinations, there is no guarantee that these methods will be completely successful and I recommend that a professional upholstery cleaner be contacted in specific cases. However, these simple solutions will keep your new upholstery crisp and clean for years!

Vacuum at least once a week to remove grit that can cause abrasion, and be sure to dust vacuum the top surfaces as often as possible. Professional cleaning is the best way to make a slightly soiled sofa look new again, but weekly vacuuming will make professional cleaning a less frequent event. (Never brush any fabric with a stiff fibre or metal brush, since they are destructive to the fibres. Instead, use your vacuum attachments like the upholstery brush or the attachment for dusting draperies and furniture. The latter brush has longer bristles and is less abrasive to your upholstery fabric. It may be your best option if your fabric deserves a softer brushing.)

Reverse the cushions each week after vacuuming. Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions and other areas.

Cushions and pillows filled with down or similar cushioning material should be hand-fluffed and reversed regularly to retain their original softness and resiliency.

Protect fabrics from the sun. Fabrics should not be placed in direct sunlight because the ultraviolet light will cause the fibres to degenerate and colours to fade. Occasionally dyes can fade from impurities in the air as well, but protection from the sun is a good way to prevent premature loss of colour.

Keep pets off the furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil can be difficult to remove.

Use proper care with structural weave fabrics (where the design is created by the weave) to protect against snags. These fabrics may be cleaned by sprinkling dry powder cleaner over the fabric, spreading it uniformly and letting it stand for the recommended period before vacuuming with gentle suction. (However, I do recommend professional cleaning with stains on a woven fabric.)

Caution to those wearing clothing with transferable dyes - such as blue jeans - the dye could transfer onto light-coloured furniture.

  source: holly linington